Is Graphite the Answer to F-Commerce Woes? (The Bottom Line) “8th Bridge has launched a new social commerce product that turns the traditional F-commerce model on its head. Rather than bringing the cash register to the watercooler, the platform, called Graphite, puts the watercooler next to the cash register, bringing a Facebook-powered social layer to existing commerce channels.” Clouds on the Horizon? (Market Pulse)

Burberry’s Angela Ahrendts: High tech’s fashion model (Fortune) “Ahrendts has been boldly reinventing Burberry’s image and operations since she arrived at the British company six years ago. Her moves have paid off handsomely: Annual sales of some $3 billion are more than double 2007 levels, and the stock has returned nearly 300% since Ahrendts’ arrival.” Jones Group tries on new shoes

Burberry A/W 2011 Campaign | Source: Burberry LONDON, United Kingdom — Fourteen years ago, Burberry was all but put out to pasture, suffering from a dusty image and its logo being pasted on cake tins, doilies and aprons. Rose-Marie Bravo was put in the saddle and took Burberry for a ride down Chav lane to the gates of the luxury racecourse. Despite doing a great job in fixing Burberry over her nine-year tenure, setting the

Blinded by Brights (On the Runway) “The fashion world took a giant leap into color this spring, and the denim makers were still offering vintage and classic washes, and a lot of other brands were displaying murky beiges and grays. Ew. And here in the middle of everything were J Brand’s exploding fuchsia, purple, vivid turquoise, bright red and lemon yellow.” Cost-Cutting Is Rampant in Fashion (Bloomberg Businessweek)

Earning Her Stripes (WSJ Magazine) “From small-town roots in Indiana to the big time as head of Burberry, a $2 billion fashion empire and one of the most widely recognized brands in the world, Angela Ahrendts takes it all in her stride.” The Next Wave (NY Times) “It is not just six names who are making waves in New York, but an entire generation of designers who have the potential to transform what we think of as

Chanel’s luxury dream is turning to dust (Marketing Week) “According to the company’s 2010 estimates… [Chanel] lost 11% of its brand value over the past 12 months. It’s a rare glimpse into the actual state of Chanel’s brand health.” Chinese spending power underestimated, study says (Market Watch) “Chinese households have far more money than previously thought… property companies and even European